# Why does every category & thread I open now come pre-highlighted? **URL:** \ **Category:** Site Feedback\ **Created:** [June 26, 2023, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-every-category-thread-i-open-now-come-pre-highlighted/986138 "2023-06-26T21:35:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2023, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-every-category-thread-i-open-now-come-pre-highlighted/986138/1 "2023-06-26T21:35:59Z")
It started all of a sudden today, it persists after rebooting. [![](https://i.postimg.cc/BZdJmvRp/Capture2.jpg) ](https://i.postimg.cc/BZdJmvRp/Capture2.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2023, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-every-category-thread-i-open-now-come-pre-highlighted/986138/2 "2023-06-26T22:16:19Z")
And now it’s just doing it intermittently. and mostly when I open up this Site Feedback category. Good thing that I’m retired and can spend time pondering such imponderables. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2023, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-every-category-thread-i-open-now-come-pre-highlighted/986138/3 "2023-06-26T22:35:37Z")
If it is happening on a mouse click, you might want to go through these possibilities. > **[Mouse is highlighting everything when I click](https://www.thewindowsclub.com/mouse-is-highlighting-everything-when-i-click)** > > If your mouse is highlighting everything when you click, your mouse driver might be corrupted or Sticky keys are turned on. Try these fixes. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2023, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-every-category-thread-i-open-now-come-pre-highlighted/986138/4 "2023-06-27T01:09:06Z")
Or your mouse is dirty inside. Back in the old days with the roller balls or even earlier perpendicular wheels on the bottom the problem was picking up debris from the mousepad or desk. Now with mice with no moving parts on the bottom position sensors, the first thing to go mechanically wonky is the buttons. Lotsa people gunk (bio-technical term) gets inside there over time. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2023, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-every-category-thread-i-open-now-come-pre-highlighted/986138/5 "2023-06-27T01:51:19Z")
That was the problem! Man, was that mouse fuzzy inside! It works like a charm now. Thanks a bunch! ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2023, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-every-category-thread-i-open-now-come-pre-highlighted/986138/6 "2023-06-27T03:12:51Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Man, was that mouse fuzzy inside! Usually mice are fuzzy on the outside. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2023, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-every-category-thread-i-open-now-come-pre-highlighted/986138/7 "2023-06-27T03:28:45Z")
This prompted a sudden fond memory for me. Our IT guy at work knew that if I came to him with a computer issue, I would already have tried the standard easy things to fix it and he could start checking the more complicated things - except that I never, ever thought about the mouse being dirty. It got to the point where, if he saw I was having an issue with scrolling, he’d just say “Mouse?” in passing and I’d remember to check it. I suppose it’s not surprising that mice are always filthy! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2023, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-every-category-thread-i-open-now-come-pre-highlighted/986138/8 "2023-06-27T12:09:58Z")
If **QtM** has a mouse that’s fuzzy from the underside, he’s gotta be using some kind of ancient antique from the prior millenium. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2023, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-every-category-thread-i-open-now-come-pre-highlighted/986138/9 "2023-06-27T13:39:01Z")
Not so. its true that it’s a greater issue from the days of roller mice, where lint and dust and oils and dirt and so on get on the ball then ride up to collect on the rollers as the ball moves. But it can collect in an optical mouse as well, since they typically have a hole or indentation where the laser beam comes from. The same sort of debris (“fuzz”) can collect in that and obscure the beam, causing erratic mouse behavior. Fortunately, it’s usually much easier to clean an optical mouse. You can generally pull the fuzz out, shake it out, or blow it right out. Roller mice often required disassembly, removing the ball, and then scraping gunk off the rollers. It can be disgusting and I’ve done it many times over the years to fix customer issues. One disadvantage of an optical mouse over its older ancestors is that a single hair can get in the way of the beam and refract the beam in such a way to make it act very erratically. You’ll see the mouse cursor slowly move across the screen while the mouse sits still, or it skitters around as you move the mouse. When I see that kind of behavior, I always check for a hair. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2023, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-every-category-thread-i-open-now-come-pre-highlighted/986138/10 "2023-06-27T19:48:18Z")
I’ve heard of haunting melodies and haunted houses. But never a mouse haunted by a hair. TIL; thank you! 😁